Predestined
by savethebikes
Summary: They met as babies, before she could retain a memory. He moved away, she stayed. She moved to that same town 8 years later, they reunite, and become best friends once again. But will it stay that way? Will it turn into something more, or will it end by never speaking to each other again? What will fate allow? Hoennshipping, slight AU. Rated T for language/suggestive themes. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi hello and welcome! :D This is the first Pokémon fanfiction that I'm posting to this site (heh). So please leave a review letting me know if you like it? ^_^

Also, big note that I am a co-author! The other co-author's name is Melody. I write the chapter, send it to her, she makes edits and changes and basically approve the chapters to be posted. So she is amazing and deserves a huge amount of credit for this story!

Disclaimer: We do not own Pokémon.

* * *

The cramped, dark space of the moving truck was **not** May's ideal situation.

Having to leave Johto, all of her friends and the house she grew up in, was also **definitely not** her ideal situation. Especially since she had recently turned 10 and would be able to go on a journey with Pokémon soon. However, her father Norman's line of work had other plans, which had gotten him the opportunity to be Petalburg City's Gym Leader. And bam, here she was, in the back of moving truck, on her way to her new house in Littleroot Town.

Their small family had trouble finding a suitable home in Petalburg, due to it being a very, as May's mother Caroline had put it, "happening city". Caroline had requested a small, fairly secluded place to live, which Norman was happy to comply with. Their new house in Littleroot Town was perfect for them.

May found herself being thrown forward suddenly, as the moving truck halted to a stop. She was able to catch herself from falling completely on her face, but not before taking a blow to her shoulder. She groaned a bit, rubbing her shoulder with her opposing hand. The pain went away after a moment, soon being replaced with curiosity and excitement.

 _We're finally here!_

She stood up quickly, instantly regretting it as she was reminded of the soreness that plagued her body.

She was _so_ going to get Max for taking the last seat in the moving truck.

Soon the heavy doors were opened, and light poured into the dark compartment. She breathed a sigh of relief as she climbed out the back of the truck. Squinting as she jumped out, she shielded the sun from her eyes with her hand, and took a look at the new place she would call home.

It was a cozy looking, moderately sized home, adorned with different shades of a soothing brown color. It was a lot different from their rather cramped living space in Johto. May looked around at the quaint little town, noticing only one other house within her line of vision that looked very similar to May's house, only minor differences. A ways away, she noticed a rather large brick building, and made a mental note to figure out just what it was after all of the family's possessions had been unloaded.

* * *

Caroline waved frantically as the moving truck drove away, letting out a content sigh. The past two hours had been spent helping the Machoke Movers unpack and tell them where everything went. It was starting to feel like home to her.

May, however, was still slightly unsure. She'd been given her own room, which was a major plus. No more sharing with her dorky little brother! But, she still didn't really know anyone in this region. At all.

As if on cue, Caroline called May back downstairs. May took one last look at her new room before going.

When May walked into the room, Caroline was putting the phone back on the receiver.

"That was Linda Birch, May. Do you remember the Birches?" (A/N: I couldn't find any information on what Birch's name or his wife's name is. So I made it up.)

May's brow furrowed as she tried to wrack her brain. The name itself was familiar, her father and Professor Birch being old friends and all, but she couldn't recall meeting them.

"Sort of," May responded. "The name sounds familiar."

Caroline smiled warmly. "Well, we haven't seen them since you turned two, when their family moved here to Hoenn for the father Michael's line of work. Looks like we were just 8 years late to the party!" she paused to chuckle.

"Anyway, that was Linda, his wife. I'm not sure if you remember, but they have a son about your age. His name is Brendan. You two used to play together all the time, before they moved. Maybe you should go meet him; they are our neighbors after all!"

May's heart stopped. _Boy? Next door? My age? We played together when we were little?!_ Of course this would happen to her, she was known for her bad luck.

May was still unsure about boys, just coming out of the stage where boys were "icky". She didn't know who this Brendan Birch was, but the idea of meeting him made her stomach churn.

"Alright, I'll go meet them." May sighed. Caroline beamed, telling her daughter to be careful on her way out.

May trudged through the grass, a feeling of dread exploding inside of her. _What if they hate me? What if he remembers me and I don't remember him? What if he's cute?_

May had no idea where that last internal question came from, but she tried her best to ignore it as she knocked on the door.

* * *

Linda placed the phone on the receiver, having just spoken to Caroline. May would be coming over soon, and she decided it would be best to warn her headstrong son, who didn't do well being taken by surprise.

She walked up the stairs, walking up to her son's room and knocked gently. Some sort of sound of acknowledgment was made and Linda took that as her cue to enter. Brendan sat on the floor of his somewhat unusually clean room (for a 10 year old boy), reading a Pokémon magazine.

"Brendan?" she began, his ears perking as his eyes lifted off the page to look at her. "Our new neighbors just moved in. And they happen to be our old friends from Johto. Do you remember Johto at all?"

Brendan's face twisted slightly, before he shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "A little bit."

Linda rolled her eyes, smiling at her son. "Well, it's the Maple family. They have a son that's about four years younger than you named Max, and a daughter that's about your age, May. Their father is the new gym leader of Petalburg, so now they live here in Littleroot next door to us. May and you used to be playmates when you were babies, you'd play games together for hours," Linda giggled fondly at the memory. "Anyway, May is on her way over now to introduce herself. Please be nice."

Brendan felt his cheeks flush a little bit. He hadn't thought about girls much through his Pokémon-driven lifestyle, but a girl he played with when he was little? _And she lives next door?_ He swallowed the lump forming in his throat and nodded at his mom. She smiled lovingly, before making her exit.

* * *

The knock on the door sounded, and Linda hurried to the door, opening it with a smile. May was getting so big!

"Hello, you must be May!" she mused, stepping aside so May could enter the house. "I'm Linda Birch. It's so nice to finally meet you! My, I remember when you were just a wee bitty thing!" she laughed, leading May inside.

May felt her face heat up in embarrassment, but smiled politely nonetheless. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Birch."

"Please, call me Linda!" Linda smiled with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, I'm sure you'd like to meet Brendan, he's in his room upstairs."

May swallowed her nerves as best as she could, making her way up the stairs and timidly knocked on the door. And she could only assume that Brendan was the one who opened the door from the other side.

He wore a simple black and red short sleeved shirt, with simple black pants. He wore a white hat with a green band, which almost made it look like he had white hair, only May noticed the dark brown pieces of hair sticking out at the bottom of the hat. He had green, red and black gloves on his hands that matched his shoes, and a green backpack that strapped across his torso. He looked at her with wide gray eyes, before flashing a wide smile at her.

"Hey, you must be May Maple." Brendan greeted politely, sticking out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Brendan Birch."

May took his hand, noting that he had a strong grip, and smiled back.

"Yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you, Brendan."

They awkwardly let go, and Brendan scratched the back of his neck. "So uh, apparently we played together as babies?" he laughed awkwardly, turning a little red. May laughed heartily, nodding.

And little did they know, it would be the start of an amazing friendship.

* * *

A/N: In case you didn't realize, this is a flashback chapter. The first few will be like this so you can kind of get a feel of what Brendan and May have been through before the actual story starts. Hopefully you like it! R&R please! :-)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: CHAPTER 2! (Too much hype I'm so sorry whoops)

By the way, I'll be updating this story every week, once a week. Unless you guys leave a ton of reviews and demand another chapter, then you may just get two a week but who cares, on to the story!

This one is another flashback chapter. I'm not sure if there will be one more flashback chapter after this or if I'll just get on with the actual story (haha) but you'll just have to wait and see whoops (._.;

Disclaimer: We don't own Pokémon.

* * *

It was strange to think back to those days of friendship with Brendan for May.

After their meeting, they immediately hit it off.

May would see Brendan almost every day. Her days became strange if she didn't see or talk to Brendan. He had a habit, especially during the summer, of shouting at her window to wake her up. It was the same reaction every time: she'd groan, lay there for a second while Brendan continued to holler at her, and then smile at her best friend's silliness and lack of filter. She'd get out of bed, walk to the window, open it, tell Brendan to shut up, he'd get embarrassed and come in to sit with her while she ate breakfast. Afterward, who knew what the day would consist of? Brendan was a loose cannon; unpredictable, impulsive, energetic. And while this often annoyed the living daylights out of her, she knew she wouldn't have it any other way.

Eventually, there was an addition to just the two of them, when they were 13. May was always kept in the dark about the story behind him, but there was some sort of tragic accident involving his parents, and he was sent to live with Brendan's family, as Professor Birch was his uncle. He was two years older than Brendan and May, and rather quiet. When she met him, he was a thin and frail boy with scruffy green hair, very pale skin, and bluish gray eyes. And in a way, she'd always remembered Wally this way.

He fit right into the two of them, like a custom made glove. Wally accompanied Brendan to May's house for his morning holler-at-May-to-wake-her-up routine, but usually stood off to the side, offering May a small, apologetic smile for waking her up. He'd join on their adventures; Brendan as the adventurous leader, May as the voice of reason, and Wally as the mediator of May and Brendan's inevitable bickering.

School was often the same way between the three. All three were great academically, however, Wally proved himself to be the genius of the group. Brendan was always popular among the girls, and even Wally was too, to an extent. However, Brendan had his own plans that didn't involve girls, and Wally was always too shy to even speak to a girl other than May. May had a fair share of boys interested in her, but usually, she was content with her two best friends, who did a pretty good job fending them off for her.

Kids were required to attend school until the age of 15 in Hoenn, from there they could decide to take a journey with Pokémon if they so choose. Brendan Birch had come out of the womb with a desire to be the Champion of the Hoenn region. And it showed. Pokémon was always on that boy's mind, all the time. May wondered if he would have ever taken interest in the many girls that showed interest in him, had he not been so distracted by his Pokémon all the time.

And May loved a good battle, sure- but as their journey would later prove, May was no match for Brendan. She never took offense to it, of course- because _no one_ was.

Wally kept up with him pretty well; however, he'd usually fall just short of Brendan every single time. Wally was always a good sport about it though, and admired his friend for his strength. Even though Wally and Brendan were cousins, they always held each other as best friends. Or just included May as a member of the family, which usually resulted in a hug that had May sandwiched between the two boys, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Eventually, May discovered contests. Her two best friends didn't really hold a lot of interest in it, as expected, but they supported her. She fell in love, and eventually decided she wanted to pursue being a Coordinator when she turned 15. So she did.

Eventually, May and Brendan turned 15 and made their plans to travel. Professor Birch provided both of them with a Pokémon to start with, Wally caught a Ralts thanks to Norman Maple previously, and the three traveled together for some time. It turned out to be the same as it was in school, only… different. For May, at least.

Wally was older than the other two, so he had been out of school longer. He didn't travel with them for too long, as his own work plans started to get in the way and his 18th birthday was coming, meaning he'd be able to find his own place to live. However, he was still in frequent contact, thanks to the PokéNav.

But with the absence of Wally, May's "different" feeling only grew. She'd known Brendan for 5 years and had been friends with him as a baby; he was the person she was most comfortable with in the entire world. She told him everything. She trusted him with her life. He was her best friend. And now…

Now it was hard to even speak to him. And she had no clue why.

As the two began to travel alone together, she suddenly began to see Brendan differently. Being almost 16, Brendan's boyish features had become far more masculine. His lanky limbs were now covered in a small layer of muscle, not to the point where he was buff, but there was a noticeable difference. He'd always been just a little taller than her, but his height had sky rocketed soon after they started their journey, and he now had at least half a foot on her. His awkward, pubescent voice had dropped considerably, and he now had a deeper, huskier voice. His gray eyes stood out against his now tanner complexion, and his jaw was stronger.

And May was noticing.

Not that she hadn't gone through changes of her own, of course. Her awkward, stick-like body had developed into a nice hourglass shape. Her curves began to fill out, her skin began to smooth, and she had begun to grow into a woman.

Naturally, Brendan didn't pay this much mind. He was too focused on his goal of becoming the Champion to pay attention to _anything_ , it seemed. And May _never_ wanted to be one of those girls who obsessed over boys she found attractive, especially her best friend.

So it continued. Brendan collected his gym badges and pushed his way toward the Pokémon League, never once losing sight of his goal. May continued to compete in Contests, earning gym badges along the way as well. They both picked up a considerable amount of fans, Brendan a little more as he neared the top, but as usual, Brendan paid no mind to the girls that swarmed him. This always baffled her, yet she did cheer herself up by remembering that he was traveling with her, and obviously enjoyed her company. And that was enough for her.

So she went on, and decided to always be what he needed. And if that meant concealing her feelings, then she would.

No matter how long.

* * *

A/N: This one was a little shorter, but last flashback chapter! Next chapter, the story starts! AHHHHH!

Just to clarify, this flashback covers May and Brendan's journey together in a VERY GENERAL SENSE. It will be revealed in a LOT MORE DETAIL as we get into the story! So please bear with me!

Hope you liked it, and as always, R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: END OF FLASHBACKS! YAY!

Okay so this chapter might be a little harder to keep up with, because this is where the actual story begins.

Ages:

May- 19

Brendan- 19

Drew- 20

Wally- 21

I REALIZE that normal 19/20 year olds PROBABLY wouldn't be out living on their own yet, but this is the Pokémon universe people. When has Pokémon ever followed the rules of our real society? Plus its fiction so I can pretty much do what I want with it anyway, haha :P

Anyway, on to the story! Hopefully it can answer most questions!

P.S. Don't kill me for May dating Drew right now

Disclaimer: We don't own Pokémon.

* * *

"May? May?"

May heard her name being repeated and quickly snapped out of her little daydream. She shook her head, blinking a few times and looked next to her, seeing the familiar face of her boyfriend, Drew Hayden.

"Are you alright?" he asked, slight concern in his voice. "You just zoned out there for a few minutes."

She rubbed her eyes with her hands. "Yeah, I'm good, just tired. I didn't sleep much last night."

He nodded in understanding, leaning back against the couch. They were in May's apartment, watching TV in her small living room on a typical Wednesday night.

May worked directly underneath Steven Stone for the Devon Corporation, as his assistant. It was a fairly easy job, and it got her by. She had a quaint little two bedroom apartment in Mossdeep, she could provide for herself and her Pokémon and that was enough for her. She had bigger plans, but for now, it was a good paying job that got her by. And she loved working with Steven, especially after meeting him on her journey with Brendan. He was damn generous as far as bosses go, as he usually didn't require assistance and always paid May four times more than what is necessary. She always tried to get him to give her less, to no avail. _"You deserve it!",_ Steven would always insist.

May let out a small chuckle at the thought of Steven, but Drew didn't notice, engrossed in the sitcom playing on the TV. She yawned, stretching her arms and legs and glancing at the clock. _7:58._ Drew would probably have to leave to fly back to Lilycove soon, before it got too dark and his Flygon wouldn't be able to see very well.

She got up to turn the TV off, but right as her finger was about to push the button, the TV blared "Breaking News!". May had never been one for watching the news, but the picture of her now very much grown up childhood best friend next to the news anchor's head was enough to capture her attention.

She lowered her hand from the screen and walked backwards to the couch, where she plopped down without removing her eyes from the screen.

"Good evening, and welcome to Hoenn Nightly News at 8!" the anchor announced with a pleasant smile on her face. "Tonight, we bring you exciting breaking news- the Hoenn region's current Champion, Brendan Birch, has reached the two year anniversary of his Champion crowning!"

May's stomach felt like a thousand Beautiflies were flying around in it. She didn't know why; her childhood crush was completely unjustified. She had just become interested in boys when she left on her journey, and Brendan happened to be an attractive boy whom she spent 95% of her time with, so naturally she'd think she was in love with him. It was simple to figure out, and say that she never really loved him. Besides, she hadn't seen him in two years; ever since he became Champion, he was so engrossed in his work that he never called.

So why in the _hell_ would these Beautiflies explode in her stomach at the mere mention of his name, much less seeing his picture?

May tried not to answer that question in her head as she continued to listen to the anchor and various interviewed people talk about how much they like Brendan and what he's done for Hoenn. She sighed, sinking further into the couch. She hadn't spent this much time thinking about Brendan in a long time. Usually, he'd pop into her head randomly as she laid in bed some nights, but she'd drift off to sleep before she could really think. But now? Now she couldn't get him out.

Being pulled out of her internal conflict, May felt fingers being intertwined with her own. She looked down to see Drew's hand holding her own. She exhaled deeply, letting herself be relaxed-

"I'm just glad to be here. This was always my dream as a kid, being able to be the Champion and the strongest trainer in Hoenn, all while helping keep Hoenn the incredible place that it is. I love this region, and the people in it. I'm living my dream."

May froze as Brendan's voice rang through the speakers of her TV. She looked up from she and Drew's intertwined hands to see the man himself, Brendan Birch, on a live video chat with the news station from the Pokémon League.

The anchor continued to ask Brendan questions about himself and the League, though May only half paid attention to what he was saying as she studied him. He was the same Brendan, that's for sure- just older, more mature, growing into a true man. May felt her chest swell with a strange mix of pride and longing- she was so unbelievably proud of his accomplishments, yet she wanted more than anything just to see him again.

But she knew he was busy, and the Brendan she knew will always make time for what's important to him. And if she was important to him, he'd call.

Right?

May began a new train of thought, but she was abruptly cut off by hearing the anchor ask another question.

"Do you miss your friends and family?"

May felt her breath hitch in her throat- _here's the moment of truth._

This question seemed to throw Brendan a little bit, as his face twisted for a split second before he composed himself again.

 _Like a professional._ May laughed to herself- knowing how much of a dolt her best friend could be.

"Every day." He said, a hint of remorse in his voice. May's eyebrows shot up.

He continued. "I see my family every so often, they make a trip up here and I spend some time with them. I talk to my cousin a lot, he's one of my two best friends," He smiled slightly at this, but his smile quickly faltered. "I haven't seen or talked to my other best friend in a while."

The news anchor pressed. "Who are these best friends? Why haven't you seen the other one?"

Brendan was silent for a second.

"I don't really know. I'm just… busy, I guess."

"Do you have a message for them, if they're watching?"

May felt her heart skip a beat as Brendan scratched the back of his neck on the screen.

"Hey, mom and dad. Miss you. Wally, I know we talk a lot but you need to make it out here soon! And May… I hope you're waking up okay without a kid outside your window yelling at you. I miss you." His face was genuine as he smiled at the camera.

"Thank you for your time, Brendan." The news anchor said, as Brendan waved before his face camera was removed from the screen and the news anchor continued onto another story about the Move Deleter.

May stood and turned off the TV, standing in front of it for a second before turning around and looking at Drew, his expression passive.

"It's getting late," he announced, standing up. "I should probably get going."

May glanced at the clock again. _9:07._

"You have a contest tomorrow!" May remembered, slapping her hand to her forehead and earning a single nod from Drew, his signature smirk in place.

"You have a pretty terrible memory, Maple." He mused, walking to the door and putting his coat on. May gave him a short hug.

"Sorry I've been acting so weird, I don't really know what's gotten into me." May fumbled her apology, looking down.

"It's okay May, I understand." He smiled slightly, letting her go and opening the door. She gave him a quick goodbye kiss, before he gently closed the door and she heard Flygon flying away.

May groaned and walked back over to the couch, plopping down. She noticed her red tank top, grey sweatpants and messy bun in the reflection of the turned off TV. She sighed- she really _is_ a wreck.

And of course, the cause of this wreck is none other than Brendan Birch.

His words echoed in her brain long after the TV special was over. _May… I hope you're waking up okay without a kid outside your window yelling at you. I miss you._

She smiled slightly to herself- she'd spent all of this time trying to block him out, and he always weaseled his way back in, some way or another. And she missed him too, much more than she wanted to admit to herself.

But why? Why didn't she want to admit it to herself? Why is it bad that she misses her best friend?

 _Because I'm not thinking of him as my best friend._

May's eyes immediately widened.

She was _not_ about to think about Brendan this way again. She has Drew, a tall, handsome man who is a top Coordinator in Hoenn. Any girl would love to be with Drew, and May loved Drew. So if she loves Drew, why are these thoughts of Brendan not going away?

 _Because I never got over him._

May threw her head into a throw pillow and screamed, alerting her Blaziken in the other room who peeked her head around the corner. May flashed a thumbs up to the Pokémon, before Blaziken rolled her eyes and walked back into the other bedroom. Her trainer could be _so_ dramatic sometimes.

May gathered her thoughts before reaching for her PokéNav, immediately dialing a number she knew by heart.

"Hello?" Wally answered on the other end. "May? What's up?"

"Can I crash at your place tomorrow night?"

May's request threw him off, but he answered her. "Yeah, of course. Is everything okay?"

"I need your help."

"With?"

"…Boys."

Wally sighed. "May, you know I'm not good at talks like that. I barely know Drew…"

"Drew is not the one I'm talking about here."

Wally blinked and sat up. "What?"

May sighed. "Brendan."

Wally was silent for a few seconds. "I'll see you tomorrow."

May laughed dryly, hanging up her PokéNav. She walked to her bedroom, climbing into bed and trying to drain her thoughts of the Hoenn region Champion.

It didn't work this time.

* * *

A/N: AHHHHH LONG CHAPTER!

Why is May with Drew? Why is Brendan in contact with Wally but not May? Why hasn't May tried to contact him or visit him?

All will be revealed… ON THE NEXT EPISO-

Yeah I'm gonna shut up now, ANYWAY R&R as always!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Fun fact, this is the farthest I've ever gone in writing a fanfic. Feel special. XD

Kidding, but really! I'm in love with this story and I hope you are as well :-)

So sorry about the late update! School has started and I'm hella stressed :(

Chapter 4! Yay! Hopefully more questions will be answered! (Kind of ironic because I'm the (co)author I know what happens lol) but this is really fun to write and hopefully equally as fun for you to read :-)

This chapter is kind of a filler, so I'm sorry :/

Disclaimer: We do not own Pokémon.

* * *

 _May didn't know where she was, all she knew was that she was running. Along the shore of a beach she had no identity of. With him._

 _She felt more exhilarated than she had in years. The laughter came easily. She felt free. Happy. Like all was right in the world._

 _He stopped suddenly, turning around and abruptly flashing her with his too-wide grin and gray eyes alight with excitement that she adored. May didn't notice him halt and barreled into him, nearly knocking them both into the sand. He caught her before they both crashed, steadying the two of them. He couldn't help but chuckle, causing her to cock her head to the side in confusion as she looked at him._

" _What's so funny?" she asked, narrowing her eyebrows slightly. "You're the one who just randomly decided to stop running!"_

 _He just stared at her, face still split into a massive grin._

" _Hello? Did you hear me?" she asked again, raising her eyebrows. He closed his eyes, raising his head slightly and taking a deep breath. She was about to protest again before he abruptly cut her off._

" _Don't ruin the moment." He whispered, in the husky voice that only Brendan could use._

 _May swore she saw him start to lean closer-_

 **BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

May's eyes abruptly shot open, gritting her teeth and trying her hardest not to destroy her PokéNav as she answered the oh-so-conveniently timed call.

"Yes?" she nearly hissed. Wally chuckled on the other end.

"'Good morning, Wally! How are you on this fine morning?'" Wally imitated May's voice sarcastically. "What's got you in a mood?"

May groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with her other hand and squeezing her eyes shut. "I barely slept last night." _And I had a dream where I nearly kissed my best friend. Ya know, the usual._

"Something on your mind?" Wally asked, replacing the sarcastic tones with caring, slightly concerned ones.

May sighed. Wally knew her too well.

"I'll talk to you about it later." She sat up, glancing at the clock again. _8:26._ She resisted the urge to groan again. _Leave it to Wally to wake me up at this ungodly hour._ "Do you work today?"

Wally assisted the Day Care Couple in their business. He'd train people's Pokémon, or groom them. He really enjoyed the work, and everyone who watched could tell. He'd visit the Day Care a few times a week, but when he wasn't there, he lived in an apartment in Mossdeep as well. He'd travel around, like a traveling Day Care service, and help train people's Pokémon across the region. His apartment was across the island from May, as she had to live near Steven for when he needed her, but was only about a 5-10 minute flight by her Tropius to get to his apartment. And because of this, she got to see Wally relatively often.

"I don't think so. I'm on call though, so I could need to leave at any time. That shouldn't be necessary for the rest of the week, but you know how it is." Wally explained. May nodded in understanding.

"I have to work for Steven today, but I get done with that around 2 or 3. And then I'm off for an extended weekend. I'll see you then?"

"Yeah, of course," Wally smiled. "Is everything okay? Did you finally talk to Brendan after all of this time?"

May sighed again, swinging her legs around to stand up from the bed. That dream still had her feeling a bit frazzled, and she could barely fall asleep last night because of him anyway. Naturally, she was not feeling very rested. "No, I didn't. But it's so weird, Wally. I can't stop thinking about him. I saw that news special last night and ever since, nothing but Brendan. I even had a _dream_ about him last night. I shouldn't be doing this Wally, I have Drew. I haven't thought about Brendan like that for years. I feel awful. I don't know what to do."

The words fumbled out of her mouth all at once, but Wally understood.

"I understand. Don't let this cloud your mind May, just go to work and we'll get all of this figured out soon enough. Try to not let it distract you too much?" he requested, in his Wally way that no one could ever disagree with. May sighed.

"Thanks, Wally. I'll do my best. See you later."

Wally bid her farewell before clicking off. May groaned again, walking to the kitchen and setting her PokéNav on the counter. She grabbed a bagel from her fridge and put it in the toaster, pressing the lever. Her mind was still preoccupied from her conversation with Wally, but even more so with the dream she just had. What the hell _was_ that?

She frowned. Wally was right. She shouldn't let this dampen her spirits too much. She'd go to his apartment later and get everything sorted out.

She glanced at the clock again, noticing it was nearing 9. Steven didn't call her in until 10 today. She turned off the alarm on her PokéNav as her bagel popped out of the toaster. She quickly added jelly to the bagel and ate her breakfast, deciding she should probably shower, and got ready for the day.

She walked out of the apartment half an hour later, her Tropius, Blaziken and Wailord on her belt in their respective poké balls. Dressed in her usual attire of an orange tunic, black bike shorts, white, green and black gloves, orange and white shoes with black socks, and a green and white bandana with a matching fanny pack, she walked without much purpose, noting she had quite a bit of time before she had to meet Steven.

She took this time to clear all thoughts of the Hoenn Champion, as best as she could. She was _not_ about to let him take over her life.

* * *

May sighed as she closed the door of her apartment. Steven had decided he wanted to hike today, to potentially find a semi-rare stone. They didn't, however, and now May was even more exhausted than she was before.

And she _still_ couldn't get Brendan out of her head.

She began walking to her bedroom, dialing Wally's number along the way.

"Hey, how did work go?" Wally asked.

"It was fine, I guess. I'm exhausted." She huffed as she pulled out a small bag to pack for Wally's.

"At least you have an extended weekend." Wally said, attempting to boost her spirits. May smiled slightly, despite not having the best day.

"Thanks for doing this, Wally. You're the best."

"It's what friends are for," Wally insisted. "It's about 4 now, should I order a pizza?"

"Sure, that sounds great. I'll be there soon."

Wally clicked off, and May threw her PokéNav on the bed. She changed into a large, navy blue t shirt and her favorite sweatpants, throwing her hair into a messy bun. She packed the last of her things, putting all of her Pokémon in their poké balls and attaching her belt to her bag. She removed Tropius' poké ball and grabbed her bag before leaving her apartment and locking the door. She released Tropius, smiling as the giant Pokémon greeted her.

"Hey boy," she said, laughing as he nudged her cheek with his massive head. "Ready to fly to Wally's?"

Tropius seemed excited as he lowered his back for May to get on. She climbed onto the Pokémon, directing his flight.

Soon, they arrived. May thanked Tropius and returned him to his poké ball. She grabbed her bag again and knocked on Wally's door, slightly nervous about how this was going to go.

 _Curse you, Brendan Birch._

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A/N: Fourth chapter done! I'm sorry, not much happened and it was kind of a filler… but the exciting stuff is about to happen, I promise! Stay with me!

As always, R&R! And I'll be updating soon!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! I think the story will pick up more through this chapter :-)

By the way, I'm writing these chapters way in advance! So I can guarantee consistent updates! :D

I'm so stoked about this chapter! By the way, if there are any ADTR fans out there you should let us know because we love them :)))))

Anyway! Onto the chapter!

Disclaimer: We do not own Pokémon.

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Wally clicked off the PokéNav, moving to his computer to place an order for pizza. He'd always been a really shy person- it was easier to place the order online than to be stuttering quietly out of nervousness to the pizza place over PokéNav.

Wally quickly placed the order and began to tidy up a little bit for May to come over. She was his best friend, and although he knew how much May cared for Drew, it didn't come as a shock to him that she was thinking about Brendan again.

Wally had always been the mediator of the group, whether Brendan and May had butt heads over something small and rather insignificant or one had made the other upset. Wally was the peacekeeper, the staple that held the stack of papers together. Or in this case, the three of them.

Wally hated any sort of lying to his friends, but he had a hunch that May had always liked Brendan, and it was just now coming to light. He had no idea why _now_ , but he wasn't going to argue. Wally wasn't stupid- he'd been around his best friends long enough to know when things weren't the same as they used to be. Around the time he traveled with them about 4 years ago, May was quieter than she'd always been. She seemed more careful, thinking more about what she said and how she said it.

And being around Brendan probably made that difficult- the boy had absolutely no filter. Which meant that Wally could see through him, too.

Girls were never really a topic of conversation between Wally and Brendan- Wally always got too shy around girls, and Brendan was the king of obliviousness. Wally always harbored a small amount of jealousy for how much girls loved Brendan, but Brendan didn't even seem to notice. That, or he didn't care to the point where he didn't even acknowledge it.

Even then, Wally wondered if he wasn't so oblivious. He just wasn't interested in any of them, or maybe-

Wally's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, who could only be May. Besides, the pizza wasn't expected for another 20 minutes.

He hurried to the door, finding his best friend there. Wally chuckled, moving aside to let her in. "You really outdid yourself on your outfit this time."

May rolled her eyes, plopping on the couch and throwing her bag to the side. She leaned back onto the couch, putting her hands on her face and pulling the skin at her eyes. "I'm losing my mind, Wally."

Wally frowned, sitting on the recliner next to the couch and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "Well, let's talk. What caused these sudden thoughts about Brendan?"

May sighed, sitting up and looking at Wally. "Drew was over last night and we were just watching TV together. My mind wandered off to how I met you and Brendan and I just got lost in this daydream for a while, which happens sometimes. Drew pulled me out of it though and I was fine, until I saw Brendan on the news."

She watched Wally's face as she explained, noting the realization on Wally's face when she mentioned the news.

"Well… Brendan _is_ the Champion, May. It's not uncommon for him to be on the news."

"I know that, Wally. I never usually watch the news. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard his voice. And then I saw him on the screen. I haven't seen him in over 2 years now, Wally. And he's saying he misses me on national television."

"Why do you never usually watch the news?"

Wally's sudden question threw her off. It wasn't quite the question she expected. "What?"

"Why do you never usually watch the news?" he repeated.

May paused, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment. _Should I tell him the real reason?_

Wally raised an eyebrow. May sighed. "Because I knew he'd probably be on the news sometime, and I really didn't want to see it."

"Why not? He's your best friend; wouldn't you want to see his success?" Wally pressed.

May looked down. "Of course I want him to be successful…" she mumbled.

Wally raised an eyebrow again, sitting up. "But?"

"How was I ever supposed to get over him if I'm seeing him on TV every day?" she blurted suddenly. "He hasn't made any effort to talk to me, Wally- why should I be so sure that he even _wants_ to talk to me? How do I know if him telling me he misses me on national TV yesterday was genuine or complete bullshit? 'Oh May, I miss you, that's exactly why I haven't even TRIED to call you in over TWO YEARS!'"

May sat back and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose between two of her fingers. Wally sat there in shock- he was only trying to begin the conversation. He didn't expect the sudden outburst.

Wally opened his mouth to speak, but he was abruptly cut off by a knock at the door again.

He sighed, getting up and walking to the door. He quickly paid the delivery boy and closed the door, walking back to the living room and placing the pizza on the coffee table.

"Pepperoni. Your favorite."

She mumbled a 'Thank you' and leaned forward, pulling a piece out of the box and taking a bite.

Wally fell back into his recliner, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, can we rewind for a second?" he asked, looking over to May. She nodded slowly, taking another bite. He pulled out a piece of his own from the box.

"'Get over him?' When did you start liking Brendan?" he asked, taking a bite of his own slice.

"Not long after we left on our journey. I never thought of him as anything other than a friend until we left school. But I always thought my mini crush on him was so stupid, you know? He's my best friend. Yet I couldn't shake it."

Wally nodded, swallowing another bite before speaking. "Why did you never tell me? Or him for that matter?" The second question seemed obvious, but the first question wasn't. He couldn't figure out why she never told him.

"Because I knew you would've told Brendan," she answered like it was obvious. "And I was scared to tell him. He never paid attention to girls, it'd be stupid of me to think that he'd be any different if he found out I liked him."

"Why do you say that? You're his best friend, not some random girl that thinks he's 'cute'." Wally stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That's just it. In his mind, I'm his best friend and only that. Nothing more."

Wally nodded again in understanding, though he wasn't sure how true May's statement was. "How come you haven't talked to him since he became Champion?"

May's face noticeably fell. "He hasn't tried. If he really wanted to talk to me, I feel like he'd try. Brendan has always been that way. It'd be stupid of me to try, it's clear he's fine not talking to me."

Wally shook his head. "That's not true, May. You heard what he said on the news."

"It could've been complete bullshit."

"Do you really think Brendan would do that?"

May stayed silent.

"Have you ever thought that maybe he's under the same impression? That _you_ don't want to talk to _him_ because _you've_ never called? And he doesn't want to call because he thinks it'd be stupid to try?"

No response from May.

Wally sat back, noticing he'd been leaning more and more forward. They sat in silence, Wally waiting for May to speak.

"I'm such an idiot." Her voice broke on the last syllable. Wally looked over, seeing her looking down at her hands folded in her lap.

"You're not an idiot, May."

She sighed, feeling her eyes well up. _I refuse to cry over this._

"I am. I haven't talked to him in Arceus only knows how long because of my own stupid self."

"If you think about it, Brendan's been busy too. You know him and Pokémon. I have no doubt in my mind that what he said on the news was genuine."

She sniffed, nodding. "Thanks Wally."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, their own thoughts consuming their minds.

Wally broke the silence like a baseball shattering a window. "What about Drew?"

May felt her heart stop. This was the question she'd been dreading, and trying to avoid.

"What about him?" she responded, looking over at him.

"If you never really got over Brendan, why are you with Drew?"

May paused. "Drew is a great guy, Wally. I love him, and he's great for me. We get along really well. We both love coordinating, he's sweet, nice, funny, charming…"

"But?"

"But what?"

"But there's something missing, isn't there?"

She paused again, realizing that what Wally was saying was true.

"…Yeah. There is. But I don't know what that is."

"I do."

May perked a brow, tilting her head. "You do?"

"Yes."

"Care to enlighten me?"

He nodded, taking a drink of his soda. "Drew's perfect for you. He does everything right, he treats you well, he's handsome, there's not a single flaw. Except one."

May raised both eyebrows. "Which is?"

Wally set his soda on the table. "He's not Brendan."

The words resonated in May's mind. _Drew is perfect, but he's not Brendan._

She had no idea how to respond to this. "…I-"

Wally hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry May, I don't want to assume anything-"

"It's okay, Wally. You're right."

Wally's eyes widened in shock. "Really?"

May sighed. "Yeah, you are. I'm trying to find a Brendan replacement. But no one can replace Brendan."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I have no idea. Right now, I'm gonna go to bed. I'm too exhausted to think any more about this right now."

Wally noticed it was almost 11:00, and nodded. "Sounds good. Is the couch okay?"

"It's fine." She responded, her voice slurring as she drifted to sleep. "Thanks for this, Wally."

"No problem." Wally responded, smiling as he heard her breathing even out. He cleaned up the trash, putting away the DVDs that they'd watched. He plopped back on the recliner, thinking for a while. He needed to call Brendan. No-

He needed to visit Brendan.

Wally picked up his PokéNav, praying Brendan hadn't gone to sleep yet as he dialed the number.

"Wally!" the overenthusiastic boy- man, now- answered. "What's up?"

"Hey Brendan," Wally greeted. "I saw your news interview. I was wondering when I could come out for a visit?"

Brendan's face lit up. "Are you crazy?! Get out here! It's been slow lately with challenges anyway, a couple of days away wouldn't hurt."

Wally smiled. "Sounds great, I'll be out there sometime tomorrow."

"Can't wait!" Brendan exclaimed, but then paused. "Are you coming alone?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Sorry, just wondering… I just, I haven't seen May in so long, you know?"

Wally grinned. "I know. I'm sure she misses you too."

"Yeah, maybe… well, I'll see you tomorrow Wal, it's getting late."

"See ya then, B." Wally responded, before Brendan clicked off.

Wally sighed. May couldn't know that he was going to visit Brendan. She wasn't stupid, she'd know he was going to talk to Brendan about her.

He hated lying to her, but he'd have to tell her he got called for work. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair.

Here's to hoping this would work.

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A/N: WHEW, okay! That chapter was almost 2,000 words!

Next chapter, we get BRENDAN! WOOOOO!

As always, please R&R! I'll update next week!


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